Sleeping
by BirdSpell
Summary: "Where's Japan?" "He's... asleep." HetaOni, character death, slight Prupan, potential spoilers.


**I cannot believe I'm gonna kill Japan. *shrugs* High school is worrying me.**

**Disclaimed.**

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"Shit! Where'd it come from?!"

"Does it matter?!" Japan leapt forward, slashing at the Thing and gaining its attention. It turned to him, snarling. "…This wasn't my best idea…"

"YoU WiLL nOt-"

"Oh, HELL no!" Prussia interjected, stabbing the Thing in the back. "Japan, run!"

"But-" Italy cried. "If we split up-"

Japan smiled gently. "We'll find you again, Italy-kun. We'll just deal with this Thing, and then we can go find the clock."

"P-promise?"

"I _promise_," Japan assured him, turning to run out of the room. Prussia followed.

The Thing followed him. "Shit! Japan! It's after us!"

"I can see that!" Japan unlocked the nearest door and threw himself inside, grabbing Prussia's wrist and pulling him in as well. The Thing skidded, banging into the wall before making its way into the room. The two nations drew their swords, waiting.

"DiE!" it roared. The other two flung themselves to the sides. Japan gritted his teeth.

"Curse!"

"Bear the cross!" Prussia added quickly.

The Thing screeched.

"That sounded like a backup call…" Japan muttered worriedly.

"Ah, you worry too much." Prussia charged, slashing the Thing across the chest.

"Perhaps." The Japanese dodged a swipe from the second Thing as it lumbered through the door. "Or perhaps not! Prussia!"

"I know! Calm down!" The Prussian jumped in front of Japan, stabbing at the Things. "Hey, no one but me gets to mess with Japan!"

"I could have handled it…" the smaller man murmured. "…But, thank you."

"Heh, no prob-"

"Behind you!" Japan moved too quickly for Prussia to stop him, pushing the other nation away from the door. Prussia staggered, trying to regain balance.

"What the hell-" His voice died in his throat as he turned. One of the really big Things, like the one that almost killed Italy, had appeared in the doorway. Japan had pushed him out of the way…

And the Thing's clawed hand was embedded in his stomach.

A hiss slipped from Japan's lips. "D…dammit… I… promised…"

"_No!_"

Prussia leapt forward, slashing and stabbing at the Thing until its head flew away from its body. It dissolved into nothing.

Japan dropped to his knees, arms crossed over his stomach. "Tch," he gasped. "Ow…"

"That's all you have to say, ow?!" Prussia knelt beside him, tearing strips of cloth from his jacket. "Let me see, come on, move your arms…" He tugged away Japan's arms, hissing at the sight of blood gushing from the ragged wound. "You're gonna be fine, it's… it's not that bad!"

"No, of course not," Japan agreed. "We should… get back to the others-" He broke off, coughing harshly. "Get back to the others, and… then we can escape, right?"

_Escape?_ "No, Japan, we have to find the clock and go back again."

"Oh, of course. My… My mind is playing tricks on me, heh." Japan chuckled weakly, coughing again and wincing as it aggravated his injuries. "Of course, we need to get to the clock…"

"Hey, look at me. Look at me!" Prussia tapped the Asian on the cheek. "We'll get there, but we'll be lost without you, so you've gotta make it!"

"I'll be _fine_, Prussia," Japan sighed, exasperated. "Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much?"

"That's my line," Prussia chuckled. "Plagiarism!"

"Oh, my apologies."

The two of them shared a laugh. Japan leaned back slightly, relaxing as Prussia remembered what was happening and began binding the wound. "There, you see? It's not that bad."

"No," Japan agreed. "And it won't be long before we find the clock anyway." He shifted, wincing. "Can you help me up?"

"Of course." Prussia wrapped an arm around the Asian's waist and stood slowly, supporting the smaller nation's frame. "Come on, let's get back to the-" He froze. "Oh no…"

"What?" Japan looked up. "Oh, that's just not fair."

Things. Those goddamn _Things_. At least five of them, jostling each other in the doorway. Prussia half supported, half carried Japan into the space between the two beds against the wall and lowered him to kneel there. "Stay here," he ordered. "I mean it. You're in no shape for fighting."

"But-"

"Stay here, Japan! Please!" Prussia brushed a hand against his friend's cheek. "Please. I can't lose you."

"I… I understand."

"Thank you." Prussia stood, drawing his sword. "Alright, shitheads… Bear the cross!"

One down… four left. He could do this.

"Dismissal!" Kanji flared to life, slicing across a second Thing.

"Japan, what are you doing?!" The Asian was leaning heavily on the bedpost, sword drawn and pointing shakily at the Things.

"I understand why you want me to stay out of this." His eyes went steely. "That does _not_ mean I agree. You are my friend too, and I won't allow you to fight alone."

"Fine!" Prussia snapped. "But stay there, got it? Use your magic, _no_ physical combat!"

"Yes sir. Curse!" The second Thing went down. Prussia sighed in relief, charging into battle against the third as Japan sniped at the fourth from his place by the beds.

"DiE!"

Japan let go of the bedpost, returning to kneeling behind the bed. He peeked around the side. "Dismissal!"

Ah, there went number three. Prussia finished off his own and turned to number five.

"YoU WiLL nOt EsCaPe!"

"Bear the cross!"

The two spells met in the middle of the room and created a shockwave that threw the Thing into the hall and Prussia into the wall by the beds. Japan yanked him into the gap where he'd been hiding after getting attacked for the first time. Japan had found him there. He remembered that, even as other memories faded away.

"Are you alright?" Japan asked, impossibly calm.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Oh yes. Just-" He paused to cough. "Just a bit tired."

"That's good- Wait!" He ran over to the door. The Thing had vanished; either of its own will, or killed by the backlash of the spells meeting. Prussia shut and locked the door anyways. "Okay, we're fine now- Japan?"

"I-I'm fine," Japan coughed. "Honestly, I am." One hand rested on his chest, just below his heart.

"Japan, let me see your hand."

The lithe nation hesitated, then slowly held out his hand, well aware that Prussia wouldn't let this go.

The palm was red with blood, as was the uniform he'd hidden beneath it. The cloth and the flesh below it were torn and ragged. "I-I'm sorry, Prussia," he managed, coughing. Blood flecked his lips. "I can't… come with you this time."

Placement, angle… his ribs would be gone. Might've punctured a lung as well. Maybe with a hospital and specialized surgeons it could be fixed, but here… Japan didn't stand a chance.

Still, though… "No, no, you're okay! I-it's not that bad! Hey, look at me!"

Japan blinked weakly. "The others… Are they alright?"

Prussia blinked back tears. "Ja. They're fine. They've… already left. We have to go join them now." He had a vague, half-forgotten memory of Japan telling him much the same thing in this same room, in a past loop.

"Oh," Japan breathed, coughing. "Prussia?"

"Yes, Japan?"

"Can I… Can I sleep, for a little while? I-I'm… really, really tired…"

"Ja. Ja, sleep now. And when you wake up, we'll escape, all of us. Together. I promise." Prussia brushed his fingers across his friend's cheek. "So don't sleep in too late, got it?"

"Mm. Got it… Prussia?"

"Ja?"

Japan's eyes were wide and glittering. "I-I'm scared."

"Don't be afraid," he murmured in reply. "We'll get to the clock, and we'll bring you back. It'll all be fine in the end, I swear it. You won't… You won't die ever again."

"You promise?" Like a child after a nightmare, desperate for reassurance. "You absolutely promise?"

"Cross my heart." Prussia stroked the older nation's cheek. "Sleep now, Japan. When you wake up, you'll be fine."

Japan nodded slowly. "Ah, yes… Sleep… I will… see you later…" His voice trailed off, eyelids fluttering. "Good luck… my friend…"

His eyes slid closed, and he fell still. Prussia swallowed the lump in his throat and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the other nation's forehead. "Sleep well, Japan," he whispered. "Rest in peace… I'll see you later."

Prussia brushed the smaller nation's hair out of his face, positioning the body so that it looked like Japan really was just sleeping, like any moment he'd open his eyes and smile like he used to when they were the Axis Powers. Then he stood and left the room, looking back just once before shutting the door and locking it. "…I'll see you in the morning," he murmured, like he did when Japan stayed at Germany's house, like he would have the evening after the World Meeting, had things gone as planned.

Then he locked the door behind him and returned to the few nations who remained.

"Ve~ Where's Japan?"

"He's… asleep. Very… deeply… asleep."

All those in the room looked away, the shadow of grief above them thickening. Japan, loyal, dependable Japan…

"W-we've found the clock," Italy murmured. "Come on, Prussia."

Prussia followed.

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"…ssia? Prussia? Prussia!"

"Eh? Oh, sorry, Japan." Prussia grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Must've been daydreaming."

"Of course." Japan smiled faintly. "Well, then, we should hurry, or we'll lose the others."

"Can't have that?" What had he been thinking about before? Something… important…

_"You won't die ever again."_

"Cross my heart," Prussia muttered under his breath.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Japan glanced back at him curiously.

"Oh, no." Prussia smirked, grabbing the Asian's wrist and tugging him off, ignoring the soft protests. They caught up to the others outside the mansion.

"Ve~ It's really here!"

_And the cycle begins again…_

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**Well. That was… different. **

**Basically, this was the cycle before the one in the actual game. Prussia subconsciously remembers his promise, which is why he keeps hounding Japan about sharing things he's remembered more than the others do.**

**I'm gonna go read fluff now.**

**See ya~!**

**-Bird**


End file.
